


They Have His Blessing

by shanahane



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Auguste (Captive Prince) Lives, Family, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-25 22:43:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20919839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shanahane/pseuds/shanahane
Summary: “The Prince is inside, Your Majesty.”Two guards were standing next to the doors of the room in front of which they were standing. “These are the king’s chambers,” Auguste observed.“The King is recovering from a stab wound,” the Akileon said. “Your brother insists on staying by his side. They are… friends.”“Oh?”--What I imagine would have happened immediately post canon, had Auguste been alive.





	They Have His Blessing

**Author's Note:**

> I've always wondered how the canon story would have worked if Auguste had been alive. So, I decided to write a very short post-canon one-shot that does not dwell on how Auguste would have fit into the story, it just deals with the immediate aftermath from Auguste's POV.

There was little fanfare when Auguste arrived. He didn’t much care, in fact, he preferred it. He was not there for a joyous occasion or a standard royal visit. He had an official as well as a personal reason for this visit and they did not require ceremonies. 

He was met by Jord, who was accompanied by an Akileon soldier Auguste recognized from the peace negotiations. Together, they led Auguste down the halls of the palace so different from his own. A sort of shocked silence made their footsteps echo. This was the second time in a very short time that Akileos had a new king, and vulnerability such quick changes brought could almost be felt in the atmosphere of the palace.

Had Auguste allowed his uncle to steer his thoughts, he’d take advantage of this.

“The Prince is inside, Your Majesty.” 

Two guards were standing next to the doors of the room in front of which they were standing. “These are the king’s chambers,” Auguste observed.

“The King is recovering from a stab wound,” the Akileon said. “Your brother insists on staying by his side. They are… friends.”

“Oh?” 

Auguste did not miss the glance between Jord and the Akileon. Deciding against questioning them about, he nodded to the soldiers to open the doors. 

He was not prepared to see what waited for him inside. 

Laurent was asleep on his chair, his head leaning on the bed at an awkward angle. Even in his sleep, he was tightly holding the hand of the man sleeping in the bed, who Auguste recognized to be Damianos, the new king of Akileos. The man who he had met on the battlefield years ago, who had defeated and crippled him. 

Friends, indeed.

“Your Majesty!” 

So focused on his brother, Auguste had not seen Paschal in the corner of the room. The physician was clearly surprised to see his king, but years in court had taught him to hide it quite well. Auguste gave him a nod as he closed the heavy door behind him. 

“Hello, Paschal.”

“I did not expect you for another week at least.”

“Only a few people did.” His eyes on Laurent, Auguste asked: “How is he?” 

“The Akileon king is young and strong. He should heal quickly, as long as the wound does not…”  
  
“Pardon me,” Auguste cut Paschal off. “I am not fond enough of the Akileon king to deeply care whether he lives.” 

Paschal bowed his head. “Of course, my apologies.” He sighed, then, which caused Auguste to frown slightly. “The Prince is in shock, though he denies it. He has only left this room to relieve himself. I do not believe he has really slept and his food is mostly left untouched.” 

“Hmm.” 

“He will be happy to see you.” 

“I am happy to see  _ him _ .” Careful to be gentle enough not to startle him awake, Auguste put his hands through Laurent’s unwashed hair. “So what do you know of this?” 

It took Paschal a moment to realize what Auguste was asking. When he did, a small smile appeared on his face. 

“I know your brother is fond enough of the Akileon king to care whether his lives.” 

Auguste was not sure what to think of that. “For years he’s shot down one suitor after the next.”

“The heart works in ways not even physicians always understand,” Paschal commented. 

“You believe it’s ways of the heart?” Auguste asked. “Does Laurent love him?” 

“Deeply, My King.”

“And does the Akileon return such feelings?” 

“He does.” 

“You sound sure.” 

“You will be sure, too, once you see it. The way they look at each other.” 

Laurent stirred, then. Wrinkles appeared between his brows as he slowly opened his eyes. “Damen?”

“He is still asleep, My Prince.”

“Then who…?”

Auguste smiled sadly and crouched down when Laurent’s eyes fell on him. “Hey, Little Brother.”

An almost desperate sound escaped Laurent as he all but collapsed into Auguste’s arms. Auguste embraced him tightly, hoping he could give Laurent that same feeling of security as when they were children and Laurent had a nightmare. 

“You’re here,” Laurent whispered. “You’re here.”

“Yes. Yes, Laurent, I am here.” Auguste heard a quiet click of the door closing and knew that Paschal had left the room. 

“How are you here?”

“I walked,” Auguste attempted to joke. Laurent did not laugh. “Officially, I came to oversee Uncle’s execution. I was already on my way here, though, when I received word of his crimes.”

“But Vere…”

“Has a queen,” Auguste said. “Does it still have a prince?” 

Laurent turned to look at Damen, who had not woken up despite the new voice in the room. “What have you been told?” 

“I did not have to be told much. You are by his sickbed the same way you were by mine seven years ago.” 

There was fear in Laurent’s voice when he asked: “Do you hate me?” 

“For loving him? No, Laurent. Of course not.” 

“But he…” 

“Do you remember what Mother used to say? That love should never be a reason to hate.” Auguste used his thumb to wipe a tear that fell from the corner of Laurent’s eye. “I am going to miss you, though.” 

“Miss me?” 

“Once Damianos is better, you will have to come home. You are still my heir for the next half a year or so.” 

Laurent blinked. “For the next…? Auguste!” 

“Yes," Auguste confirmed. "The Queen is with child. The nobles, however, will not accept your marriage to the Akileon king until my heir is born and is deemed healthy. Everyone is assuring me that the pregnancy is going well and the Queen is growing so I have no doubt you will soon be able to follow your heart.” 

“I… I don’t… That’s…” It was not often that Auguste found Laurent at a loss of words. His younger brother looked like he could not quite believe what he was hearing. He glanced from Auguste to Damen and then back again, a little red coloring his paler-than-healthy face. “He… He can’t marry me. He won’t. He is the king now, he has… he has duties that he did not have before. He needs an heir, too. The kyroi won’t let him, and he knows…”

“Have you talked to him?” 

“He… He hasn’t been awake long enough. But we knew it was a dream. It was always just a dream.” 

Laurent’s voice broke at the last word and he leaned his forehead against Auguste’s shoulder. 

“I have never known you to give up so easily,” Auguste said. 

“It’s not about giving up!” Laurent snapped. Damen’s eyelids fluttered but Laurent didn’t notice that. “I am being realistic! His family is dead! There’s no one else to continue his bloodline. No one in this country will accept me as a consort.”

“Forgive me, brother, but it sounds like you are trying to break your own heart so he cannot do it.” 

“I feel like if it’s broken again, it won’t recover,” Laurent admitted. “If he dies…” 

“Paschal says he should not.”

“If he dies, part of me will die with him,” Laurent said as if he had not heard Auguste. “I don’t know how much of myself I can lose anymore. When Nicaise…” 

“What about Nicaise?” Auguste asked when Laurent stopped. 

“Uncle killed him,” Laurent sobbed out. “You did not know?” 

“Laurent, Nicaise was alive and well when I left Vere,” Auguste said. “Barking orders at the physicians taking care of the Queen.” 

“...but… But Uncle, he… he brought me his head.” 

For a moment, Auguste wished he could execute his uncle by strangling him with his bare hands. “Uncle is a vile man who killed an innocent child to fool you. Nicaise is home, and he misses you. Not that he would ever say it.” 

“I shall stay away from cutlery then.” The Veretian brothers turned to see Damen leaning lightly on his elbows. Laurent got up with a sharp ‘you idiot!’ and pushed Damen to lie back down with gentleness that did not match his tone. “Some good news was due, was it not?” Damen said. His eyes and smile were so soft when he looked at Laurent that Auguste felt like he was interrupting a private moment. 

“How much did you hear?” 

“Something about you being a consort.” The red on Laurent’s cheeks darkened a bit. “I will not make you a consort.” 

Auguste watched as a thousand emotions flash on Laurent’s face. He quickly schooled his expression to that stoic, cold one that Auguste remembered from years ago, that he hated from the bottom of his heart. “Yes. It would be most impractical. There is no sense in angering the kyroi so…” 

“You will be a king. We will be equals. If you’ll have me.” 

If Laurent had been at a loss of words before, now he was completely speechless. The corner of Auguste’s mouth twitched up and he decided, this once, to speak for his brother: “Court him. Properly. The way he deserves.” 

Only then did Damen turn to look at Auguste. “You would let me?” 

They were both kings now, meeting for the first time since the signing of the peace treaty after Damen had decided to accept Auguste’s surrender. There were no handshakes, no slaves or pets or gifts, no feasts. It was most informal and Laurent's station called for a more proper and public declaration of a wish to court him. Many had tried the proper way only to be turned away and Auguste knew Laurent had hated all the grand gestures. So maybe his station called for something else, but this was what Laurent wanted. A private moment when he didn't have to hide emotions or mask his true meaning behind fake words. 

Auguste stood up, barely biting down a groan, from where he was still crouching and closed the small distance to the side of the bed. He put his hand on Laurent’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “You have my permission to court him, should Laurent want to be courted.” 

“I was prepared to die,” Laurent mumbled. Auguste squeezed his shoulder more tightly. “I thought I would surely be dead by the end of all this. My only goal was to keep Uncle off the throne. How is this happening?”

“Your uncle counted on us killing each other.”

“And instead you fell in love. He definitely did not see that coming. Neither did I, for that matter.” 

Damen’s fingers laced between Laurent’s. “No one did. It wasn’t that long ago that I did not think it possible myself. And yet…” Damen looked Auguste directly in the eye. “My Brother of Vere, Laurent is the most intelligent, loyal, brave, honorable man I know. And I know a lot of intelligent, loyal, brave, honorable men. If he accepts my hand in marriage, not a day shall go by when he’s treated with disrespect in this country, nor will I ever dishonor him.” 

Something settled in Auguste’s heart, and he felt the smile on his face becoming less forced. “We will stay here until you are truly healed. Then, Laurent will have to come home. If your feelings for each other are still as strong by the time he is free to return to Akileos, he shall do so with my blessing.” 

“Good. Good. Now please… Get him to eat something. And bathe and sleep properly.” 

“I am fine!” 

“No, you’re not. You’ll need your strength of what is still ahead, my love,” Damen said. 

“He’s right, Laurent. Come with me, we’ll dine together. We can discuss how we will inform our nobles that you have entered a courtship with the king of Akileos.” 

A hint of amusement colored Auguste’s tone as Laurent’s eyes widened slightly. The Prince hesitated for a moment longer before his shoulders finally sagged - in relief or defeat, Auguste wasn’t sure - and nodded. He leaned down to press a kiss on Damen’s brow and whispered something Auguste did not hear. Damen smiled, his eyes growing heavy and Laurent pulled away. 

Paschal had been right. Auguste was sure now, too.  


* * *

The day the Akileons arrived to celebrate the birth of the Princess dawned as sunny but cold. The castle was abuzz with servants making last-minute preparations, but as the Queen had insisted on being in charge of her daughter’s celebrations (with Nicaise’s eager assistance), Auguste found himself with an infant in his arms and nothing but time to wait. 

It was more than a little unorthodox for the king to be wandering around the halls with his child cooing in his arms. The Queen’s wish had been for them both to be as involved in the girl’s life as much as possible - she even fed her from her own breast - and Auguste certainly did not mind. 

He soon found himself outside Laurent’s chambers. His brother had made a brief appearance at breakfast before disappearing. Respecting Laurent’s privacy, Auguste knocked, and only entered when he heard ‘come in’. 

Auguste was met with a blast of cold air and was quick to tighten the blankets around the Princess. Laurent was on the balcony, already dressed in his best clothes. He glanced over his shoulder when Auguste approached before turning back to watch the road that led to the castle. 

“Eager, are we?” 

“It’s been 6 months, Auguste.” 

Auguste hummed. 

After matters in both countries had become more stabilized, Auguste had granted Laurent permission to join Damen at Damen’s Summer Palace for two weeks. Laurent had returned with darker skin and lighter hair, bringing with him the first official courting gift: A beautiful mare that Damen had hand picked himself that Auguste - and the whole court - knew had to have cost a small fortune. Auguste was certain then that his little brother would indeed soon become the king of Akileos. 

The courting gifts had been frequent since the first one, letters even more so. Some of the gifts had clearly been sent with Veretian customs rather than Laurent’s personal preference in mind, and Nicaise’s jewelry collection had grown. Most, however, Laurent kept in his chambers, like the collection of Akileon folk stories he had been reading through for the last month. 

It brought joy to Auguste to know the man Laurent was watching the road for knew Laurent well enough to know what he’d appreciate the most. That did not make the notion of letting go any easier for his own heart to accept. 

“It has, indeed,” Auguste said. His breath came out as white puffs. “You will go with him, then? When he returns home?” 

Laurent’s hands squeezed the railing and he briefly closed his eyes. When he turned to look at Auguste, there was no doubt in them.

“I know the feeling. I would have followed the Queen to the ends of the world.” 

“Yes.” Laurent’s gaze fell on the Princess and he unwrapped the blankets enough to reveal her soft, smooth cheek. “You will visit?” 

“Sooner, I think, rather than later. There will be a wedding, I assume.” When Laurent’s eyes welled up, he added: “You will always be welcome home, Laurent.”

“I want to go with him. To be with him. And there are many memories in this palace that I am eager to leave behind.” With a sigh, Laurent tucked the blankets higher to shield the Princess from a gust of wind. “But there’s so much I’m not so eager to part with.” 

“We are family. We will never truly be apart.” Laurent nodded, but the small smile on his face was shaky. “Nicaise will want to go with you.” 

“He’s grown fond of the Queen.” 

“And she’s fond of him. But he’s already asked my permission.” 

“...he has?” 

“He won’t be parted from you again.” 

“Neither will I.” 

Laurent jumped. Neither one of them had heard Damen come in, which was probably because Auguste had left the doors open. He was not dressed for the weather and Auguste shivered just looking at him, but the grin on his face was wide and happy. 

“How…? I was watching the road again!” 

“I rode ahead. Again.” Damen said. He was barely holding himself still as he turned to bow at Auguste. “Greetings, King Auguste. Congratulations. I am certain your daughter will make a fine queen one day.” 

“I thank you,” Auguste replied. He huffed out an amused chuckle at the sight of how desperately the two lovers tried to stay formal. “I should find the Queen. She’ll want to nurse her.”

As he turned to close the doors behind him, he saw Laurent in Damen’s arms, the two embracing to make up for the last six months of only written words. They had a long road ahead of them, of that Auguste was sure, of nobles and kyroi doubting such marriage, the Akileons resenting the fact that Laurent could not give Damen an heir. Auguste silently vowed that he would help them in any way he could. 

It was one kingdom once, Auguste mused. “Maybe you’ll be the queen of both,” he said quietly to his infant daughter. “Queen Hennike of Vere and Akileos.” 

Maybe. 

Such an option would have to be discussed one day. But for now, they could all enjoy this moment of peace that had been reached thanks mostly to the efforts of Laurent and Damen. They were the reason the Princess had been born into a world without conflict. Maybe the reason she had been allowed to be born at all. 

They deserved everything. And Auguste would make sure they’d receive it.

“King Laurent,” he chuckled. “It does sound right, does it not?” 

The Princess yawned in reply. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
